SUMMARY
The elder is overjoyed to hear that Gaius remains faithful to the truth.
ANALYSIS
The elder begins the body of the letter with a prayer for the good health of his addressee (3 John 2), typical of a personal letter of the period, As in 2 John, when the elder expressed his joy to find the “children” of the “elect lady” walking in the truth (2 John 4), here the elder expresses his joy to hear that Gaius is walking in the truth (3 John 3). The elder considers Gaius as one of his children, saying that he has “no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4).
“Walking in the truth” is similar in meaning to “walking in the light” in 1 John. It means to walk according to God’s commandments, the chief of which is the commandment to love one another.
